Dr. Thomas Beaver's medical specialty is cardiothoracic surgery. These areas are among his clinical interests: transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), heart bypass surgery (CABG), and heart valve surgery. Dr. Beaver is professionally affiliated with the University of Florida Health (UF Health) and North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System. He accepts several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. His residency was performed at a hospital affiliated with the University of Florida Health Science Center. Awards and/or distinctions Dr. Beaver has received include Exemplary Teachers Award, University of Florida College of Medicine and Florida Medical Association President's Humanitarian Award for Service in Iraq and Afghanistan. He speaks Spanish.

Dr. Mark Bleiweis' area of specialization is cardiothoracic surgery. After completing medical school at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine, he performed his residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and a hospital affiliated with the University of North Carolina (UNC). Dr. Bleiweis's areas of expertise include lung transplant, heart valve surgery, and pulmonary hypertension. He honors several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO. Awards and/or distinctions Dr. Bleiweis has received include American College of Surgery, Fellow; Adult Congenital Heart Association; and American Heart Association. He is affiliated with UF Health Shands Children's Hospital.

Dr. Juan Aranda is an adult cardiology and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology specialist. Dr. Aranda is conversant in Spanish. He is especially interested in heart transplant and cardiac catheterization. He is affiliated with the University of Florida Health (UF Health) and North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System. He is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. He is in-network for Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, as well as other insurance carriers. Dr. Aranda's distinctions include: Best Doctors in America 2002 and 2005 and Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare 2002-2003.

Dr. James Hill's areas of specialization are adult cardiology and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology; he sees patients in Gainesville, FL. He graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Hill's medical residency was performed at a hospital affiliated with the University of Maryland. He has indicated that his clinical interests include heart transplant and cardiac catheterization. He takes Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, in addition to other insurance carriers. Dr. Hill's hospital/clinic affiliations include the University of Florida Health (UF Health) and North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System.

Dr. Anita Szady is a Gainesville, FL physician who specializes in adult cardiology. Dr. Szady's clinical interests encompass heart transplant, ventricular assist device (VAD), and imaging procedures. She is professionally affiliated with the University of Florida Health (UF Health). She graduated from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine and then she performed her residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of Florida Health Science Center. She accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, and more.

Dr. Richard Schofield practices adult cardiology and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology. Areas of expertise for Dr. Schofield include heart transplant and echocardiogram (echo). He is affiliated with the University of Florida Health (UF Health) and North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System. Dr. Schofield takes Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, as well as other insurance carriers. He attended the University of Florida College of Medicine and then went on to complete his residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of Florida Health Science Center.

Dr. Amir Emtiazjoo is an adult critical care and adult pulmonology specialist. In his practice, Dr. Emtiazjoo focuses on lung transplant, heart transplant, and lung problems. He is an in-network provider for several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze. Dr. Emtiazjoo attended medical school at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Dr. Emtiazjoo has received the following distinction: The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), Best case presentation. CHEST 2011, Honolulu, HI. His professional affiliations include the University of Florida Health (UF Health) and Orlando Health.

Dr. Renata Shih specializes in pediatric cardiology. She attended Faculty of Medical Sciences of Santa Casa de Sao Paulo and then went on to complete her residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of Florida Health Science Center. Dr. Shih's clinical interests encompass heart transplant. She takes several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO. Dr. Shih has received the distinction of The Langley Prize for the best paper in Vet. Anesthesia and Analgesia Journal. She speaks Portuguese. She is professionally affiliated with the University of Florida Health (UF Health).

Cardiothoracic surgery is the medical specialty that provides surgical care for the chest. Most often this means heart or lung surgery, but it can also include surgery on the esophagus, breastbone, or chest wall. Some cardiothoracic surgeons may specialize in the surgical treatment of children, or focus on a specific organ or surgical procedure.

Some of the diseases and procedures that a cardiothoracic surgeon might handle include:

Coronary artery disease

Heart valve surgery

Lung cancer

Cancer of the esophagus

GERD, or severe acid reflux

Heart or lung transplants

Cardiothoracic surgeons may use various types of imaging, such as an electrocardiogram or CT scan, to diagnose problems and plan the operation. They may also offer minimally invasive surgery or robotic surgery, if appropriate, to lower the risk of scarring and infection.

Cardiothoracic surgery is an older medical specialty, but it is still one of the most amazing. Often patients who need a cardiothoracic surgeon are extremely sick, suffering from an illness that will kill them without intervention. With surgery, however, they often make a complete recovery.